Sibald's Holme

Sibald's Holme, a large house along the North Brink beyond the Barton Road turn, was built by and for Algernon Peckover at about the time of his marriage to Priscilla Alexander of Ipswich in 1828. It was lived in continuously by himself and members of his family until the death of his daughter Algerina in 1927, almost a hundred years. He probably named it after a field or a piece of land, which may have included the site of the house. The word 'holme' is defined as 'flat ground near a river, submerged in time of flood'. The site would have fitted this description. No one remembers who Sibald was!

Algernon and Priscilla had two sons: Alexander (for whom he built Harecroft House) and Jonathan. Of their six daughters only Katherine Elizabeth married. Priscilla Hannah lived for a long time at Wisteria House, working for the Peace Movement. The two youngest, Algerina and Wilhelmina, lived all their lives at Sibald's Holme.

After Algerina's death the house was sold, possibly only after it had been divided into two. Families by that time were smaller and servants were fewer, so it must have been difficult to find anyone who wanted to buy so large a house and garden. There were presumably various occupants until, soon after the Second World War, the western section of the house was bought by Mr Gordon Smedley.

The house has bay windows either side of the massive front door, which belongs to Mr Smedley's section, together with the hall into which it leads. To the left is an attractive dining room, balanced to the right by a drawing room, which belongs to the other house. Both these rooms have a feature which may be imitated from Peckover House; the so-called 'snob screens' in the lower part of the windows made of coloured and patterned glass to prevent passers-by from looking into the rooms.

The drawing room commands a view of the long garden ending apparently in trees, but actually there is as much garden again beyond them, including tennis courts.

The bedroom above the drawing room has a window down to the floor so it would be possible to contemplate the garden without getting out of bed!

On the second floor are children's bedrooms with signs of visits from grandchildren.

The grounds of Sibald's Holme were originally extensive and included much of what is now the garden of Elgoods. The garden of the eastern section, the property of Dr Joe Neary, has a lake.